Legislators: State can't help Playhouse much

Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, November 26, 2012 at 9:36 p.m.

Legislators said Monday it's unlikely the N.C. General Assembly will pony up more money for the struggling Flat Rock Playhouse in the short term, and longer-term funding prospects aren't looking much better.

Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady said the state's budgetary process precludes the General Assembly from helping out the Playhouse in its campaign to raise $250,000 before winter. Later help would require the state to be on stronger financial footing, they said.

"We're not in session right now and we don't adopt a budget until June of next year," McGrady said. "Near-term, there's no mechanism for providing additive monies to address their year-end shortfall."

"There's nothing we can do right now since we're out of session," Apodaca agreed. "We can't do anything until April or May at the earliest."

Even then, additional funding for the 60-year-old theater company won't be easy to find in tough budgetary times, the legislators said.

Apodaca said he was willing to ask the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to look at increasing its allocation to the Playhouse, but added there isn't much arts funding available due to state belt-tightening.

"We have other issues we have to tackle, and cultural resources are not our No. 1 priority," Apodaca said, citing education and law enforcement as two more pressing issues.

McGrady agreed, saying "we've still got some troubles to face before we look at discretionary spending of any sort. It just wouldn't be financially responsible."

Currently, the Playhouse receives about $68,000 from state funding sources, said Bill McKibbin, president of the theater's board of trustees.

At a meeting Wednesday, three county commissioners suggested that state legislators get more involved in the Playhouse's fiscal matters.

"In that the Flat Rock Playhouse is the State Theatre of North Carolina, I think it needs to be looked at more seriously, very possibly, by the state," said Chairman Tommy Thompson. "I believe that there needs to be restructuring of its board and its managerial processes ... But the state could come in, if the legislature and our representatives who have put us in this position were so willing to do so, the state could come in and really make this a state theater."

Commissioner Mike Edney concurred, saying, "I agree totally with you that the state needs to step up."

However, Apodaca said the state should not wade into management of the Playhouse.

"From a management perspective, the state can screw up a one-car funeral, so I don't think that would help," he said. "Do I think the Playhouse is important? Absolutely. But we're not in the business of running playhouses."

McGrady, one of four state-appointed Playhouse trustees from the General Assembly, said appointees have not been heavily involved in Playhouse management because their legislative duties prevent them from attending meetings with any regularity.

"To my knowledge, none of the state appointments have been very engaged in the board," he said, describing the appointments as "more of an honor" than "hands-on managing."

Apodaca said too much has been made of the Playhouse's honorary title, "State Theatre of North Carolina."

"In North Carolina, we have a state theater, we have a state tree, we have a state dog," he said. "They're called that, but the state doesn't give money to all those things. We have done what we said we'd do on a state level. We had money that we had allocated to them, and we gave them that money."

But Apodaca predicted the Playhouse would survive its latest financial crisis, thanks to the leadership of McKibbin and the generosity of people in the community.

"I think we can get there," he said. "When it's back up and running, I think it could be a self-sustaining entity. In the last four or five years, nobody has had a good economic time. We need to be cognizant of that."

<p>Legislators said Monday it's unlikely the N.C. General Assembly will pony up more money for the struggling Flat Rock Playhouse in the short term, and longer-term funding prospects aren't looking much better.</p><p>Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady said the state's budgetary process precludes the General Assembly from helping out the Playhouse in its campaign to raise $250,000 before winter. Later help would require the state to be on stronger financial footing, they said.</p><p>"We're not in session right now and we don't adopt a budget until June of next year," McGrady said. "Near-term, there's no mechanism for providing additive monies to address their year-end shortfall."</p><p>"There's nothing we can do right now since we're out of session," Apodaca agreed. "We can't do anything until April or May at the earliest."</p><p>Even then, additional funding for the 60-year-old theater company won't be easy to find in tough budgetary times, the legislators said.</p><p>Apodaca said he was willing to ask the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to look at increasing its allocation to the Playhouse, but added there isn't much arts funding available due to state belt-tightening. </p><p>"We have other issues we have to tackle, and cultural resources are not our No. 1 priority," Apodaca said, citing education and law enforcement as two more pressing issues. </p><p>McGrady agreed, saying "we've still got some troubles to face before we look at discretionary spending of any sort. It just wouldn't be financially responsible."</p><p>Currently, the Playhouse receives about $68,000 from state funding sources, said Bill McKibbin, president of the theater's board of trustees. </p><p>At a meeting Wednesday, three county commissioners suggested that state legislators get more involved in the Playhouse's fiscal matters.</p><p>"In that the Flat Rock Playhouse is the State Theatre of North Carolina, I think it needs to be looked at more seriously, very possibly, by the state," said Chairman Tommy Thompson. "I believe that there needs to be restructuring of its board and its managerial processes ... But the state could come in, if the legislature and our representatives who have put us in this position were so willing to do so, the state could come in and really make this a state theater."</p><p>Commissioner Mike Edney concurred, saying, "I agree totally with you that the state needs to step up."</p><p>However, Apodaca said the state should not wade into management of the Playhouse. </p><p>"From a management perspective, the state can screw up a one-car funeral, so I don't think that would help," he said. "Do I think the Playhouse is important? Absolutely. But we're not in the business of running playhouses."</p><p>McGrady, one of four state-appointed Playhouse trustees from the General Assembly, said appointees have not been heavily involved in Playhouse management because their legislative duties prevent them from attending meetings with any regularity. </p><p>"To my knowledge, none of the state appointments have been very engaged in the board," he said, describing the appointments as "more of an honor" than "hands-on managing."</p><p>Apodaca said too much has been made of the Playhouse's honorary title, "State Theatre of North Carolina." </p><p>"In North Carolina, we have a state theater, we have a state tree, we have a state dog," he said. "They're called that, but the state doesn't give money to all those things. We have done what we said we'd do on a state level. We had money that we had allocated to them, and we gave them that money."</p><p>But Apodaca predicted the Playhouse would survive its latest financial crisis, thanks to the leadership of McKibbin and the generosity of people in the community.</p><p>"I think we can get there," he said. "When it's back up and running, I think it could be a self-sustaining entity. In the last four or five years, nobody has had a good economic time. We need to be cognizant of that."</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>